Impact release mechanism for firing pin



June 10, 1958 M. E. EGGMAN 2,837,998

IMPACT RELEASE MECHANISM FOR FIRING PIN Filed Nov. 16, 1954 IHII 2 20 II t 3 I4 Z2 Z1 Z6 1 INVENTOR.

United States i 2,837,998 IMPACT RELEASE MECHANISM FOR FIRING PIN Max Earl Eggman, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor to The Magnavox Company, Fort Wayne, Ind., a corporation This invention relates to a multi-direction impact release mechanism for firing pin or member for initiating a series of events such as detonating a charge as in a torpedo and other missiles including bombs, mortars, grenades, etc. Thus, the invention has other uses, for example, to turn on lights or blow up classified equipment in the event of an airplane crash; release a parachute from a drop package upon landing to prevent the parachute from dragging the package; or'release a signalling device from a package dropped free fall from an airplane.

The principal object of the invention lies in the struc ture of such mechanism wherein a firing pin or initiating member may be released upon impact from any direction,

transverse, or acombination thereof. Further advantages inherent in the invention reside in the fact that the comwhether the energy transmitted by the impact is axial,

plete assembly may be extremely small, containing few ment which will thereupon permit a springloaded firing housing from any direction, the arming pin 25 is removed. Upon such impact the latch member 23 will be swunggor pin or initiating member to stab a primer or close an electric impulse circuitor otherwise initiate a chain of action.

The full nature of the inventionfwill be understood from the accompanying drawings andthe following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through parts thereof in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 1 showing the mechanism in.

released firing position.

In the drawings there is shown by way of example, an impact release mechanism fora firing pin or initiating member adapted to initiate a series of events through applied impact forcefin any direction, and comprising a multi-sided housing having an upper cylindrical portion 10 secured in mating relation to a lower cylindrical portion 11. The upper portion 10 terminates in a conical camming head 12 having an axially extendingboss 13. The lower cylindrical portion 11 terminates in an'inwardly and downwardly dis-posed conical base 14 having its end portion open at 15. r r

Mounted within'the housing axially ofthe cylindrical portion'thereof, with one endbearing against the base portion about the opening 15, there is an outer sleeve 16 in which a cylindrical barrel 17 is slideably mounted. The barrel 17 carries at they lower end thereof a primer 18 or any other detonating medium, such-as an electrical switch, which, upon impact by thefiring pin or memthe mech-anism, showing it in inoperative or safety position, with Patented June 10, 1958 her will set off an explosive charge or the like. Slideably mounted within'the barrel 17, there is a firing pin 19 spring loaded by the compression spring 20. Said firing pin is provided with a conical plunger 21 adjacent to but spaced from the impactextension thereof at 22. The load spring 20 has one end bearing against a shoulder formed toward the upper end of the barrel, the other Y end of said'spring bearing against the plunger 21..

The barrel and sleeve are locked against telescoping by a locking leaf or latch member 23 pivotally mounted at 24 in a slot formed in the portion of the .barrel adjacent the conical head 12 of the housing. Said latch member' end of the sleeve 16 to prevent telescoping movementthereof. .When the arming pin is removed, such telescop ing movement will be permitted upon an impact force applied against the housing from any directionni 7 Said barrel is provided with a lateral opening 26 nor I mally adjacent the impact extension 22 and plunger 2101:

the firing pin, in whicha locking ball 27 'is positioned, said ball being normally confined in said opening between the inner wall of the sleeve, the impact extension- 22, and

V plunger 21,'to lockthe firing pin 19in its spring *loa'ded position.

The, sleeve 16, just beyond the ball confining portion Q thereof is provided with an enlarged cavity-28 forpermitting lateral movement of the balLupontelscoping of the sleeve and barrel 'to release'the springloadedfiring pinffor firing impact with a primer 18 .or the like, as shown inFig. 3. a g j In operation, the mechanism is set on s'afety' as shown in Fig. 1. In this arrangement of the assembly, the mechanism will be inoperative and therefore provide a safety-factor. For cocking the mechanismfpreparatory to firing a charge uponapplied impact force-againstthe tilted about its pivotal mounting free of restraining engagement with the barrel 16, as shown in Fig. 3. Said sleeve will then be permitted to telescope in thebarrel to a position wherein the locking ball 27 will be forced f laterally into the cavity 28 by the beveled surface of the plunger 21 under tension of the load spring 20. -Being thus freed the load spring is releasedtoforce the firing pin f against the primer 18 or other charge detonating member whereupon the charge will be fired.

I-f the'impact is along the axis of the barrel, as in Fig. 3, the barrel and sleeve will be directly, telescoped by the forces of deceleration. If. the impact comes at right angles to the axis of the barrel, the barrel and sleeve will be thrown to one side of .thehousing and telescoped by the camming action of one of the conical surfaces of the head portion 12. If the impact is applied at any other angle, the barrel and sleeve will be telescoped by a combination of the above two actions resulting in release of the spring loaded firing pin to detonate a charge.

The invention claimed is: 1. An impact release mechanism for an action initiating member comprising a housing having a cylindrical portion anda camming end portion, a telescoping sleeve and barrel mounted in said housing axially thereof to bear against. the end portions thereof, a spring loaded action initiating member slideably mounted in said barrel movable under spring pressure to strike an initiating element, a locking ball mounted in a lateral opening provided in the wall of said barrel and retained therein by said sleeve to lock said member with its load spring under compression, an arming pin extending through said housing into the free end of said barrel, and a latch pivotally and freely mounted on said barrel and restrained by said pin in the way of movement of said sleeve to prevent telescoping movement between said barrel and sleeve,said latch being movable by said sleeve out of locking position topermiti telescoping upon removal of said arming pin, said'sl'eeve having an adjacent cavity for receiving said ball. and releasing it from locking engagement wtih said member upon said telescoping movement to thereby permitsaid member to be forced under its springiloading to action initiating position. 2. An impact release mechanism for an action initiating member, comprising a housing having angularly disposed end portions, a telescoping sleeve and barrel'normally mounted in said housing axially of said end portions to bear thereagainst, a spring loaded initiating member slideably mounted in said barrel movable'under spring tension to strike an initiating element, a locking member mov'ably mounted in said barrel and retained therein against said initiating member by said sleeve for holding said loading spring under compression, a freely movable latch member operatively associated with said sleeve and barrel for locking them against telescoping movement, and an arming pin positioned to engage said latch member for holding it in latching position to be disengaged therefrom to permit being movable relative to said barrel, said latch member, and said locking member to move said latch member and release-said locking member upon an impact force directed against said housing.

3. An impact release mechanism for a firing pin comprising a housing having an'angularly disposed end porof said barrel and retained therein by said deer/ against a said firing pin with its load spring under compression, and

a releasable latch associated with said sleeve and barrel normally locking them against said telescoping movement and permitting said movement upon the release and subsequent displacement thereof, said sleeve being adapted to provide said displacement of the latch and having an adjacent cavity for receiving said locking member and releasing'it from engagement with said pin upon said telescopingmovement to thereby permit said pinto be forced under its spring loading to firing position.-

4. An impact release mechanismfor a firing pin comprising a housing having an angularly disposed end portion, telescoping sleeve and barrel members mounted in said housing with one of said members'in axial engagement with said end portion and the other said member in engagement with the opposite side of said housing, a spring loaded firing pin slideably mounted in one of said members movable under spring pressure to strike a detonating element, a latch operatively associated withsaid members and pin for retaining said pin in spring loaded position, said latch being releasable from said pin reten- 7 tion upon telescoping movement between said members to movement thereof to its unlatching position, said sleeve all.

thereby permittsaid pin to-be forced under its spring loading to firing position, and 'a second releasable latch operatively associated with said telescoping members normally latching them against telescoping movement and displaceableto permit said telescoping movement upon being released, said second releasable latch being'adapted 'to'fbe displaced 'by' said sleeve member subsequent to 'itsrelease. 1 V t I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Nov. 21, 1946 

